Does Nitrate Enrichment Accelerate Organic Matter Turnover in Subterranean Estuaries?

Due to the widespread pollution of coastal groundwaters with fertilizers, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is often thought to be a large dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) source to the ocean. Whether this N is autochthonous or allochthonous to the subterranean estuary (STE), the availability of large quantities of DIN can nevertheless interact with the cycling of other elements, such as carbon (C). In previous studies, we documented the discharge of large quantities of freshwater and NO3– from the mouth of an STE into the Ria Formosa lagoon (SW Iberian Peninsula). For the period covered in this study (2009–2011), the same STE site was dominated by recirculating seawater due to a prolonged fall in piezometric head in the coupled coastal aquifers. Total SGD rates remained similarly high, peaking at 144 cm day–1 at the lower intertidal during fall. We observed a progressive increase of NO3– availability within the STE associated with the recovery of piezometric head inland. Interestingly, during this period, the highest SGD-derived dissolved organic C and DIN fluxes (112 ± 53 and 10 ± 3 mmol m–2 day–1, respectively) originated in the lower intertidal. NO3– enrichment in the STE influences the benthic reactivity of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM): when seawater recirculation drives STE dynamics, only small changes in the benthic distribution of recalcitrant humic-like FDOM are observed (from −2.57 ± 1.14 to 1.24 ± 0.19 10–3 R.U. “bulk” sediment h–1) in the absence of DIN. However, when DIN is available, these recalcitrant fractions of FDOM are actively generated (from 1.32 ± 0.15 to 11.56 ± 3.39 10–3 R.U. “bulk” sediment h–1), accompanied by the production of labile protein-like FDOM. The results agree with previous studies conducted with flow-through reactor experiments at the same site and suggest that DIN enrichment in the STE enhances the metabolic turnover of sedimentary organic matter up to the point of discharge to surface waters. DIN pollution of coastal aquifers may therefore promote a contraction of the residence time of particulate organic C within the STE, driving carbon from continental storage into the sea.

Hydraulic properties calibration by high resolution monitoring data and 1D to 3D groundwater flow modeling of the Carozzo Landslide

<p>A reliable modeling of a landslide activation and reactivation requires a representative geological and engineering geological characterization of the affected materials. Beyond the material strength, landslide reactivation is sensitive to groundwater pressure distributions, that are generated by some external perturbation (recharge) and by the hydraulic properties of the materials. Drainage stabilization works generally involve drilling of a large number of drains and, therefore, minimize the total length is of primary concern to reduce the costs.</p><p>Aim of this work was the calibration of material properties for the optimization of drainage elements to be built for the slope stabilization and the construction of a shallow tunnel crossing a landslide. The case study is represented by the 4.0 · 10<sup>5</sup> m<sup>3</sup> Carozzo landslide (La Spezia, Liguria, Italy) which affects some marly and sandstone formation. During the tunnel excavation a monitoring network consisting of five DMS columns for displacements and piezometric head multilevel measurements was installed. The monitoring provided a series of piezometric head recession curves following some recharge events. The series of data generated in response of a unique perturbation (rainfall recharge event) were chosen to calibrate the material properties through a multi-step approach, starting from a 1D model and progressively approaching a complete 3D model.</p><p>The 1D simplified approach applies the solution by Troch et al. (2003) that considers a homogeneous landslide material, with constant slope and a progressive change in the slope width. In this model a storage function considers the amount of water stored in a slope section. By imposing the continuity equation and the Darcy law a second order of partial differential equation is solved by integration in space and time. By taking the initial conditions from piezometric measurements and assuming a constant rainfall recharge, the piezometric level and the outflow rate were computed and compared with the local piezometric level time history, by changing the hydraulic conductivity and the storage function value.</p><p>Successively, a groundwater flow FEM numerical model (in 2D and 3D) was developed considering the landslide geometry and internal zonation, including the presence of the excavated part of the tunnel. The model domain was divided into sub-zones according to the available geological surveys to account for internal variations of the material properties. The steady-state simulation of the water flow allowed to estimate the equivalent hydrogeological parameters of each subdomain. The hydraulic head distribution obtained under steady-state conditions was used as initial condition for the transient-state simulation. The recharge from precipitation was also included in the water balance by means of daily rainfall time-series. Finally, the model parameters were calibrated in transient state by comparing measured data and simulated results.</p><p>The minimum error between simulated and measured piezometric heads under transient conditions was obtained through the 3D configuration. Calibrated hydraulic conductivities in the 3D solution are up to an order of magnitude lower than the 1D solution because of the homogenous assumption of the model. The internal zonation of the landslide body and the modeling of a low-conductivity shear zone were essential to explain the pressure differences inside the body.</p>

The Impact of Hydrogeological Features on the Performance of Underground Pumped-Storage Hydropower (UPSH)

Underground pumped storage hydropower (UPSH) is an attractive opportunity to manage the production of electricity from renewable energy sources in flat regions, which will contribute to the expansion of their use and, thus, to mitigating the emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in the atmosphere. A logical option to construct future UPSH plants consists of taking advantage of existing underground cavities excavated with mining purposes. However, mines are not waterproofed, and there will be an underground water exchange between the surrounding geological medium and the UPSH plants, which can impact their efficiency and the quality of nearby water bodies. Underground water exchanges depend on hydrogeological features, such as the hydrogeological properties and the groundwater characteristics and behavior. In this paper, we numerically investigated how the hydraulic conductivity (K) of the surrounding underground medium and the elevation of the piezometric head determined the underground water exchanges and their associated consequences. The results indicated that the efficiency and environmental impacts on surface water bodies became worse in transmissive geological media with a high elevation of the piezometric head. However, the expected environmental impacts on the underground medium increased as the piezometric head became deeper. This assessment complements previous ones developed in the same field and contributes to the definition of (1) screening strategies for selecting the best places to construct future UPSH plants and (2) design criteria to improve their efficiency and minimize their impacts.

Freezing Occlusion for Inrush Damage of a Water Conveyance Tunnel under the Yangtze River: A Case Study in China

Water inrush damage was observed in a shield tunnel under the Yangtze River. This is a rare occurrence in shield tunnels and thus requires the determination its causes and the establishment of the corresponding targeted recovery measures. In the current study we investigated the hydrogeological and geotechnical conditions of the area and evaluated the possible contributors to the damage mechanism, determining a biogas leakage as the cause. Based on the theoretical analysis, we proposed a freezing recovery program with the following measures: (i) dewater the piezometric head and release the biogas in the soils; (ii) create a freezing curtain; and (iii) drain the accumulated water and build a permanent occlusion at the 950th ring. Numerical simulations prior to the actual construction were performed to analyze the frozen range and frozen effect. Results revealed the temperature in the frozen area to be below -1°C, meeting the construction requirements. The proposed freezing technology was verified using the monitoring data of the thermometer hole. This work provides a way to the recovery of shield tunnels in deep-water areas.

Fractional flow equation in fractured aquifer using dual permeability model with non-singular kernel

In this paper, a finite fractured aquifer, bounded by a stream and impervious layers on the other sides, has been considered. Variation in the level of groundwater is analyzed in confined aquifer for the unsteady flow. The governing differential equation for piezometric head involves the Caputo–Fabrizio fractional derivative operator with respect to time and is based on dual-porosity model with the assumption that the flow from fracture to block is in pseudo steady state. The obtained solutions can be used to anticipate the fluctuations in the waterlevels of the confined aquifer and for the numerical validation of a model in an aquifer.

A two-grid method with backtracking for the mixed Stokes/Darcy model

In this paper, a two-grid method with backtracking is proposed and investigated for the mixed Stokes/Darcy system which describes a fluid flow coupled with a porous media flow. Based on the classical two-grid method [15], a coarse mesh correction is carried out to derive optimal error bounds for the velocity field and the piezometric head in L2 norm. Finally, results of numerical experiments are provided to support the theoretical results.

Design of the Supporting Structures for Large and Unusually Shaped Foundation Pit near the Yangtze River

A large underground transportation hub is located on the west side of the Nanjing Youth Olympic Center, which is close to the embankment of the Yangtze River. The near-surface primarily comprises newly deposited soft soil of considerable thickness; the lower part is a riverbed-phase sandy soil containing two confined aquifers. The foundation pit requires deep excavation and has unusual shapes of “pit in pit” and “pit leaning pit.” For the convenience and safety of excavation, the piezometric head of the upper confined aquifer, where the pit bottom is located, reached 1 m below the bottom plane through precipitation, while that of the lower confined aquifer also dewatered down to a safe water level to avoid an uplift problem. After considering the engineering geological conditions, the function and shape of the foundation pits, we divided the soil layers of the foundation pits into two areas (the NW area and the SE area) and proposed the support scheme correspondingly. The numerical simulation results and completed construction safely verified the feasibility of the support scheme.

Tiny diameter downhole pressure monitoring

<p>Cheap and efficient groundwater pressure monitoring is a standard task in subsurface hydrology. We present application experience from a tube based pressure monitoring system that is applied to the Svelvik field laboratory for CO<sub>2</sub>  storage, Norway. In total 13 monitoring points were installed in depths between 51 and 89 m below ground level.</p><p>The pressure sensor is located above ground. It is temperature compensated to reduce measurement errors due to temperature variations. The pressure sensor is connected to a downhole low diameter tube that has a perforation in the respective measurement depth. The tubes are installed as smart casing installations, i.e. in the borehole annulus. This allows to keep the borehole open during installation of other monitoring devices.</p><p>Clean pumping of the well was not possible. Some filters were protected with fleece, while others were just perforated tubes. During installation, all tubes had hydraulic contact to the groundwater. After settling of the mud 3 of 4 fleece protected filters show sufficient communication, while all 9 filters that were just perforated were clogged and not usable for pressure monitoring.</p><p>The system has following advantages: (i) the downhole material is robust and cheap, allowing for multiple measurement points; (ii) has a small diameter (6 mm in the present case); (iii) since the static pressure is removed, a smaller sensor range is required; (iv) the sensors are located at the top of the borehole and can be retrieved after the campaign. Further, it can be installed without downhole metal parts.</p><p>The system has two disadvantages by design compared to submerged pressure sensors. (i) The absolute pressure can only be approximately determined, limited by the accuracy of the fluid density inside the tube. (ii) Pressure decreases can only be measured up to about 1 bar below piezometric head when the tube is filled with water.</p><p>The upper metres, that may be exposed to temperatures below 0 °C are filled with antifreeze. The choice of antifreeze allows for a certain static pressure correction. Minimum weight liquid is pure ethanol with a density of about 0.8 kg, allowing to measure pressure up to 2.8 bars below piezometric head for e.g. the 89 m deep measurement.</p><p>Acknowledgements</p><p>This work has been produced with support from the SINTEF-coordinated Pre-ACT project (Project No. 271497) funded by RCN (Norway), Gassnova (Norway), BEIS (UK), RVO (Netherlands), and BMWi (Ger-many) and co-funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme, ACT Grant Agreement No 691712. We also acknowledge the industry partners for their contributions: Total, Equinor, Shell, TAQA. We thank the SINTEF-owned Svelvik CO<sub>2</sub> Field Lab (funded by ECCSEL through RCN, with additional support from Pre-ACT and SINTEF) for assistance during installation and for financial support.</p>